31 Comments

Not enough predators upon felines equals uncontrolled reproduction of felines.

Process works for us all…it’s truly unfortunate that people can’t simply spay/neuter their pets and/or “turn them loose” when the resulting populations start to spill out of the house (as with felines, all too often).

Gotta’ be a balance. I’m not so much into hunting felines as sport (in fact, not at all) but the whole issue of the overpopulated feline populations in the country (actually, worldwide) is similar to that of snakes on islands: eventually, the most stealthful predator will eat everything else and everyone and that includes us humans if felines could. Some do.

A guy not too long ago here in my local neighborhood was riding his bike in a neighborhood park area (Southern CA), guy was young, very fit, just out exercising by himself, riding a maintained paved trail through a scrub area only a few blocks from laughing children and happy homes…got attacked and mostly all consumed by a feline (puma) before anyone found his remains a while later.

Fluffy’s a predator, needs to encounter more predation, otherwise: spay and neuter. Birds and other animals deserve as much protection as felines do.

Just MeApril 12, 2005

-S- I don’t disagree that feral populations are bad thing, but I am not real keen on sending people out to hunt them.

Around here several vets will spay for free feral cats.

But I would rather have the cats trapped and fixed or put down, rather than people with their guns out there hunting them.

bullwinkleApril 12, 2005

I hate to see them shot as long there are still plenty of mine fields still out there that need clearing. While they are clearing those mines scientists could be genetically reengineering the species into something much more useful and desirable, dogs.

Faith+1April 12, 2005

Adam and Eve said, “Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us.”

And God said, “No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves.”

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.

And it was a good animal.

And God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.

And Adam said, “Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.”

And God said, “No problem. Because I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, and you will call him DOG.”

And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.

And they were comforted.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was content and wagged his tail.

After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, “Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well.”

And God said, “No problem! I will create for them a companion who will be with them forever and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy of adoration.”

And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve.

And Cat would not obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat’s eyes, they were reminded that they were not the supreme beings.

And Adam and Eve learned humility.

And they were greatly improved.

And God was pleased.

And Dog was happy.

And Cat didn’t give a shit one way or the other.

bullwinkleApril 12, 2005

Before someone attacks me I was kidding about using them for mine clearing. It would be much more humane to simply cut off their food and water and let them dies the painless way, like we do our injured humans. I’d be willing to bet money that some of the people protesting the Wisconsin cat hunt thought that was the correct way to handle Terri Schaivo.

julieApril 12, 2005

I have a friend. When she was a kid the khmer rouge used her for mine cleaning. She lived, so it can be *that* bad. And, yes, I’m being sarcastic.

areamanApril 12, 2005

S wrote:

A guy not too long ago here in my local neighborhood was riding his bike in a neighborhood park area (Southern CA), guy was young, very fit, just out exercising by himself, riding a maintained paved trail through a scrub area only a few blocks from laughing children and happy homes…got attacked and mostly all consumed by a feline (puma) before anyone found his remains a while later.

Lets not confuse feral domestic cats with mountain lions. There is quite a difference there S.

I described the issue related to FELINE behavior. A puma is a feline. A housecat is a feline. THEY’RE ALL FELINES.

I in no way confuse “mountain lions” with “housecats” and made it pretty clear that I didn’t…the point about the puma is that, as a feline, it and tabby have about the same behaviors, shared throughout their species. Felines are predators and although tabbies have been domesticated, taught to regard humans as their food source but not their food SOURCE (they don’t predate upon us, generally, at least tabbies do not, while some do, the awful truth here…); felines predate upon whatever they can catch and kill. Humans (most of us) are too large for tabbie cats but not too large for some large felines.

But they all share the same behaviors, an important point that many folks tend to overlook out of deference to dear tabby. Onthe other hand, if you’ve ever watched a tabby cat who has been taught how to hunt prey, doing that, you’ll see in tabby behavior precisely the same that you’ll see by puma, tigers, panthers (lions are pack hunters, however but still as individuals share all other behaviors with all other felines)…they all predate based upon size and availability.

If tabby ever grows large enough (some have, there’s a concern at present in England about a “very large black cat” that is ferile and is known to predate upon SHEEP and DOGS and even other felines, among others, so it’s feasible that a feline that large would also predate upon available and smaller humans, whatever available human or other species that the feline could successfully predate is the point).

THEY ALL SHARE THE SAME BEHAVIORS. It’s just a case of what they predate upon based upon size relationship and availability. Even a tiger will kill and eat a sparrow if it’s available and the tiger is hungry enough to spend enough energy catching it compared to other prey available (larger prey are more efficient as to devoting the energy available…it’s all relative).

And, I also wrote earlier that I am not someone who would find shooting a ferile cat worthwhile, but I would if it was dangerous enough and inorder to protect other species if they were vulnerable enough. I’d particularly not hesitate to do so if the animal was threatening enough.

I’ve encountered many puma and more than a few lynx in my lifetime and we all acknowledged one another peacefully and then parted our ways. It’s a case of who is displaying predatory behavior, however…in the case of ferile cats, they have caused terrible damage to bird populations, worldwide. Truly terrible. Same as snakes in the South Pacific and Asia.

In Hawaii, the ferile cat population is severe and has and is causing terrible toll to native birds, most of whom are even now extinct and only recently…due to ferile cats. Small islands, no predators upon felines equals near extinction if not extinction for most birds. Ultimately, all birds if the ferile population is allowed to remain unabated.

They have a meager capture program available but there are grater numbers there of mostly human females who leave huge bags o’ food out for ferile cats, thereby ensuring that the problem continues and multiplies.

…Leading me to conclude that the ferile cat problem is also a human behavioral problem.

McCainApril 13, 2005

Looks like Flea Harvey Oswald in the old book suppository.

epadorApril 13, 2005

How ’bout we shoot the folks that drop off their cats in the “wild?”

DebraApril 13, 2005

I am in strong disagreement with legalized hunting of ferile felines. Not because I am ignorant of the ramifications of allowing them to run free and hunt but because I find it to be cruel and unusual punishment to an animal that is only doing what it instinctually does during the course of its life. HUNT.
There are more humane ways of dealing with ferile populations than allowing bubba to point a weapon at them and fire. Hell, half of those who hunt couldn’t hit the broad side of a building let alone a 10 inch high ferile and emaciated feline running for its life because its afraid of humans harming it in some way (go figure). C’mon people…this is rediculous. Let’s divert funds that are currently being sucked up in the pork barrel cycle and put them to good use if the folks in Wisconsin feel that strongly about wildlife reduction in mass due to the hunting done by feriles.
I don’t profess to have the answer as to how to solve this problem but I do believe that this way is the wrong way. I was always taught to come to the table with the problem and at least one solution instead of relying on someone else to fix it. Trap and euthanize. Plain and simple. If the feriles are hunted and shot-wounded-killed, who cleans it up? Does the carcass just sit there and rot? What about disease? What about….What about….What about?
Too many “what abouts”
This sickens me. Because of human irresponsibility they must be punished. Sounds logical to me.
There are no bad pets. Just bad owners.

Florida Oyster suggests an ‘you kill-it, you eat it’ rule to limit cat hunting. True, there wouldn’t be very many cat hunters; have you ever tried to skin a cat without getting fur all over the meat? And the taste! You might say it tates like chicken, if you basted the chicken with cat piss.

Better to make it legal to hunt cats only with baseball bats. It is more sporting, and safer for the neighbors.

I think it’s absolutely disgusting and if they pass this bill, those who voted for it should be shot.
not the kittens and cats.

Cindy

areamanApril 13, 2005

S:

I understand that the small feral cats have similar behaviors to larger wild cats like bobcats and mountain lions. It’s true. i get your point. They would probably eat us if they could…its just that we’re too big so they settle for Meow Mix.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that the feral cat problem is a human problem. I agree with you there for sure.

JULIE:

I don’t know that, areaman. After last year’s cat attacks, when ever she thought I wasn’t looking, I caught Fluffy giving me the stink eye.

WATCH YOUR BACK. KEEP THAT THING WELL FED.

lol

Disgusting story:

I heard this paramedic story somewhere, not sure where. A lady died in her house, and when she was found a few days later there were little bloody paw prints all over the house. The lady’s cat had eaten her eyes and part of her face after she died. Thats horrible, and may or may not be true. Maybe its one of those urban legends…

BeckyApril 14, 2005

Shooting cats is just wrong.

Think about it, you have a pack of unwanted cats, either being fed by a neighbor, or supporting themselves eating mice. Someone goes out shooting them, they scatter. One or two might get shot, but the rest keep reproducing.

The intelligent and humane way to handle this is to trap, spay or neuter, and release. By the way, the cats also get rabies shots at the s/n clinics. This actually reduces the gowing population of cats!

I think a mounted cat head on a wooden plaque would look great over my fireplace. Kind of like a moose head, but smaller.

ChadApril 14, 2005

Feral shooting is legal in S.D. and MN, and has been for ages. Domestic cats have no native predators in NA, and there has been no impetus by any species to take over that role. Obviously they don’t taste very good. Catch, neuter and return is a joke. How many thousands of GF&P agents do you want to pay each year? Cats are not easily caught, they’re sneaky little buggers. Even with open shooting of ferals, S.D. and MN believe the feral population to be growing, although at a much smaller rate than before. OH, BTW, we call them “Ditch Cougars” here in S. D. 🙂

The intelligent and humane way to handle this is to trap, spay or neuter, and release.

Uh, No.

That is the most stupid, wasteful, ineffective idea I’ve heard yet.

That would cost a bare minimum of $1000/cat (and probably more) when you consider the man/hours involved, equipment, and vet care, and you are still relasing htem back to the wild, where they continue to kill birds and othr animals, which was the reason to hunt them in the first place. Congratulations, you spent at least $200 million for nothing.

On the other hand, a .22 LR bullet costs mere pennies. Put out a single can of tuna (cats are not smart and do come back if hungry, as most feral cats are) or a sex attractant, and a hunter can kill an entire herd in afternoon for a couple of dollars, while actually contributing to the economy by buying a hunting license and his gear.

Gee, which plan makes ecological and economic sense? I’ll let you figure that out on your own…

LJDApril 15, 2005

“If they’re really considering this maybe they should add a stipulation: You must eat what you kill. A good many people will back off.”

But I heard they taste like pussy….

deeApril 16, 2005

For those of you who are all for this. What are you really that intimidated by a bunch of small independant creatures. You just don’t understand them at all. I guess that means you have to have a four legged creature following you around to make you feel like a man. You just don’t get it. I say give the cats and kittens the same advantage, a loaded Beretta!

Use voluteeres, many people would help, if provided with traps and other capturing devices, make free spaying available, encourage every cat to be spayed policy…there are many ways to resolve the problem without betraying once domesticated animals…as to birds, well, the humans caused the extinction of so many species already, birds included, that all cats in the world would not be able to do…that is just an exuse. Now, after that ridiculious proposal, every jerk runnig over a cat, is proud of himself, he is the Great Bird Protector, not an as..le anymore! And that is the worst part.